Safety Tips for Home Fire Prevention
Cooking Safety Tips
- Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling or broiling food.
- Turn off the stove if you must leave the room for even a short period of time.
- When you are simmering, boiling, baking, or roasting food, check it regularly, stay in the home, and use a timer to remind you.
- Use the stove's back burners whenever possible, especially if you have young children.
- Keep children and pets at least 1 metre (3 feet) away from the stove.
- When you cook, wear clothing with tight-fitting or short sleeves.
- Allow food cooked in a microwave oven to cool for a minute or more before you remove it from the oven; remember to use oven mitts.
- Open microwaved food slowly. Hot steam escaping from the container can cause painful burns.
Smoking Safety Tips
- Designate a smoking area outside the home.
- Provide smokers with non-tip, deep, sturdy ashtrays.
- Keep smoking materials away from anything that can burn, like mattresses, bedding and upholstered furniture.
- Choose fire-safe cigarettes.
- Soak butts and ashes before dumping in a waste container.
- Keep matches and lighters away from children - lock in a high cupboard.
Heating Safety Tips
- Keep space heaters at least 1 metre (3 feet) from people and from anything that can burn, such as curtains and bedding.
- Turn space heaters off when you go to bed or leave the room.
- Have your furnace professionally inspected and serviced every year.
- Have your chimneys cleaned and inspected before each heating season.
Electrical Safety Tips
- Replace or repair loose or frayed cords on all electrical devices or extension cords.
- Avoid overloading receptacles.
- Avoid running extension cords across doorways or under carpets.
- Install ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) electrical outlets in kitchens, bathrooms, outdoor areas, basements, and garages.
Candles
- Keep candles away from anything that can burn.
- Use a stable non-combustible candle holder.
- Extinguish all lit candles before you leave your room or go to sleep.